01 Jun 2015

Think back to all the phones you’ve ever had – what happened to them after you gave them the heave-ho? Did you sell them? Pull them apart? Or like many Aussies, did you add it to the estimated 23.5 million phones gathering dust in forgotten draws all over the country? If you’ve got an old phone kicking around consider breathing new life into it with one of our neat ideas.

Recycling paper and cardboard is pretty normal these days, but did you know you can recycle a stack of old electronics and gadgets too? Most old phones are made up (in some part) of plastic, precious metals and glass that can be harvested to create new items. Recycling is not only great for the environment, but it also earns you the right to brag about it to anyone who’ll listen because frankly it’s a great cause. So the next time you look at your old faithful handset, consider donating its organs to a better cause.

Got a phone that technically still works but can’t do much else? Pop it on a stand, head to your photos, start a slideshow and hit loop. BAM! Instant digital photo frame. Cycling through images doesn’t take much effort on your phone’s part and is a fairly simple way to get the most out of a phone on its last legs. Also conveniently, most phone displays are small enough to live inconspicuously on your desk so go nuts and include those pictures from last years Christmas party #ChampagneSelfie.

One of the best things you can do with an old phone that still works is to give it away. Whether it’s to family or friends, giving someone a phone that’s still in good nick is an awesome gift. Before handing it over, give it a good clean and try sprucing it up. Be sure to delete all your info off it too and log-out of all your accounts. If you can’t think of anyone who needs a phone, try Googling a local or international charity that provides phones for the less fortunate.

Remember when you had to pick only a select number of songs from all the songs you wanted to listen to, to put on to a CD to play on your discman? Complicated right? These days if you have a spare phone up to the task you can set it up as a dedicated source to stream music, movies and videos through. If you’re familiar with Pandora or Spotify and have a stereo receiver, your days of lugging a player around could become a memory as distant as your discman.

The possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to flipping an old phone. Especially if you’ve got one hand on Google and the other in the craft cupboard.

Cheers,
Mark

#phone-tips